Have: M.Div, D.Min; considering Th.M/Th.D - bad idea?

[Yetanotherdegree]

A little bit of background: I've only ever had or felt called to church/ministry jobs. I got my M.Div from a decent school when relatively young, was ordained in my tradition, and worked for 5 years in ministry. Then I got married, moved, and had two kids. When my oldest was just about to turn two, I started a D.Min (completed last April.) Despite the fact that I had another child in the middle of it, as well as the usual ministry job, I'm the only one of my cohort to have finished so far, with most of the other students expected to defend sometime this spring.

I've always been good at academics. The biggest criticism of my D.Min thesis was that at times it veered towards a more academic style than is usual in the D.Min program. I started the D.Min because it was the only option for me at the time. We were living in a small town in the middle of nowhere and my husband had taken on a position that was important for his career.

I enjoyed the D.Min process. It challenged me and provided focus and structure. I was also at times somewhat frustrated by the not entirely academic aspects of the program, and I was very aware that if we had lived elsewhere, I would have chosen a PhD or ThD over a D.Min.

Well, we've moved. We're now less than 15 miles from one of the best theological schools in the country. And I keep thinking about the idea of going back for yet another degree.

I'm thinking about applying for the Th.M program to start in September 2013. I don't think I would be a good candidate to apply directly to the ThD or PhD, in part because the program is incredibly competitive and a slightly older mom of two small children with a church job and a need to go part-time doesn't sound all that appealing a candidate.

But I've always felt called to a more academic vocation. I do have experience teaching in an academic setting and I write well. I feel that the academic piece is "the one that got away" and I'm thinking about the Th.M as a way to revisit and test out that possibility. If it went well, I would continue with an academic doctorate and hope to teach and write someday. If it didn't, then I would not continue on beyond the initial Th.M.

What do you think? Unnecessary waste of time and money? Or worth exploring?

And thanks for reading all this

[Perique69]

The ThM is a good way to test the waters.  One draw back is that most ThM's are not funded.  To know for sure, I'd talk to the doctoral program to see what they think about your background.  You'd probably get in for the ThM (because you're paying for it).  Getting into a very competitive doctoral program is a different story.  They usually accept around 5% of their applicants.  If the program says you'd be a competitive applicant, then go for it.  On the practical side, a ThM plus aThD or PhD equals at least 6 years or more of full time, rigorous study.    

[newenglandshawn]

Why do you want to pursue another degree? What purpose would it serve?

[Yetanotherdegree]

Why do you want to pursue another degree? What purpose would it serve?

Well I would be able to use an academic doctorate to teach at a university level. Like most people considering a PhD/ThD, the goal would be to find a teaching job at the end of it. The goal for the additional Masters would be primarily discernment (about whether or not to invest years of my life pursuing another doctorate) as well as the possibility of strengthening my candidacy at the one institution close to home. Unlike many applicants, I don't have the flexibility to move wherever I get accepted. Although, given my husband's career path, I probably will have considerable flexibility to move for a potential teaching job in about 8-10 years. I've always felt called to teach and write, but I also feel called to family life and to ministry. Finding the balance between these different directions (as well as my husband's own needs and opportunities) has at times been hard and not everything was possible at all times. Now I'm in a place where I might actually be able to explore the academic option, but I'm debating whether or not it's worth it at this point in my life. And I know there's no funding for the ThM here. I'm fine with that. One of the advantages of being slightly older and having a job is that a part-time program is not out of reach for me financially

[newenglandshawn]

I figured you were interested in going into teaching, but you didn't seem to explicitly state this.

Your story and mine sounds similar. I've spent five years in ministry, have been ordained, my wife and I have two kids, and I'm limiting my potential PhD programs to a small geographical area.

What area of study are you interested in?

[Yetanotherdegree]

I figured you were interested in going into teaching, but you didn't seem to explicitly state this. Your story and mine sounds similar. I've spent five years in ministry, have been ordained, my wife and I have two kids, and I'm limiting my potential PhD programs to a small geographical area. What area of study are you interested in?

Thanks for asking. Your question helped me to clarify things a bit more, I really do love teaching and reading and writing etc etc. I'm surprised how many people seem to have a similar story. And I don't think it's a bad idea to approach the idea of helping to teach and form future clergy with some practical experience of ministry. It's not the only way, but there are definite benefits And I'm not sure what area I'm interested in yet. I did really well in my MDiv with NT (won the prizes for it every year etc). But a significant part of my DMin thesis focused on Aquinas, and the readings I seem to gravitate towards (the topics that might be taking shape...) focus on the ideas of sacred space in the writings of some of the Cappadocians. Which is probably another reason why a ThM course or two prior to applying for a ThD would be a good idea... What's your focus? What area of OT?

[newenglandshawn]

Interested in theology of OT, especially in the book of Isaiah. Doing OT/Biblical theology hasn't been as popular as much for the last century though, which puts my interests at a disadvantage. I think it is making a bit of a comeback however and, from what I understand, more OT scholars are doing theology.